Phonographic apparatus



Nov. 10, 1942. E. c. CONRAD 2,301,616

PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 31, 1959 Enventor attorney Patented. Nov. 10, 1942 Edward C. Conrad, Philadelphia, Radio Corporation America,

Delaware Original application Jan 253,920, now Patent October 30, 1940,

Claims.

This invention relates to phonographic apparatus of the type used for recording-sound on records adapted to be played back immediately after recording, and particularly to the mounting mechanism for the recording and reproducing device, the present application being a division of my copending application Serial No. 253,920, filed January 31, 1939.

In apparatus of this type, the recording head is generally mounted in such a manner that it has a fixed relation to the record. Thus, as the recording needle wears and needs resharpening, no compensation can be made for the shortened needle. Furthermore, in some cases, it is desirable to vary the depth of cut or to vary the angular relation between the cutter head and the record. It is, accordingly, the primary object of my present invention to provide an improved mount for the recorder whereby such adjustments may be made readily.

More particularly, it is an object of my present invention to provide a novel recorder head mounting which can be adjusted easily to vary the depth of cut of the recording stylus as well as the angular relation of the stylus relative to the record blank while maintaining the stylus in engagement with the blank.

According to my present invention, the recorder head is mounted on its carriage by means of an eccentric which may be turned in its bearings to provide desired vertical as well as angular adjustment of the recorder relative to the record in a plane normal to that of the record. Suitable Pa, assiznorjo a corporation of Nuary a1, 1939, Serial No.

0- tembe'r 2, 1941. Divided 2,254,839, dated Sepand this application Serial No. 363,397

corresponding parts throughout, there is shown a frame member I on which is rotatably mounted a feed screw 3 arranged to receive power from a motor driven turntable 5 through suitable gearing carried in a housing I, the feed screw 3 ex tending across a record blank R on the turntable 5 when in operative position. Slidably and pivotally carried on the feed screw 3 is a carriage 9 to which is pivoted a combined feed and latching lever I I, the lowermost portion of the lever II being provided with a half nut I3 adapted to have driving engagement with the feed screw 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lever II is also provided with a lateral extension IIa terminating in an offset toe III) which is adapted to be received by a correspondingly formed slot I 4 in the frame I, the slot I4 serving as a detent to latch the lever II when the latter is moved to latching position, as more fully described in my locking means is provided for retainingthe mechanism in the position to which it has been adjusted.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side view, partly in section, showing the recorder and its mounting with therecorder head in recording position,

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the recorder head mounting taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularl to the drawing,

wherein similar reference characters designate above noted copending application.

The carriage 9 has a pair of downwardly extending arms 9a constituting a support for the sound translating device shortly to be described and terminating in aligned rings 9b which rotatably receive a cylindrical mounting member I5 having a hollow, cut-away, intermediate portion I5a and solid, closed end portions I5b each formed with a diametrically extending slot I5c. Mounted eccentrically on the end portions I5b of the mounting member I5 with their axes parallel to the plane of the record R are a pair of aligned, conically-tipped bearing elements or screws I! which pivotally support a cradle I9 to which is secured a sound translating device 2| that may be either a recorder, a reproducer, or a combined I recorder and reproducer, the device 2I being provided with a suitable needle 23 for cooperation with the record R. A coil spring 25 having one end secured to the device 2| and the other end to an adjustable screw 21 carried by the carriage 9 serves to counterbalance the weight of the sound translating device 2| on the record R.

To adjust the device 2I vertically or angularly with respect to the surface of the record R, as when it is desired to vary the-depth of cut of the needle or cutter 23, or to compensate for shortening of the cutter 23 when it has been sharpened, a thumb screw 29 on one of the bearing rings 9b is loosened and, by means of a screw driver inserted into one of the slots I5c, the mounting member I5 may be rotated in either direction,

preferably within the limits determined by a pin.

3| extending into a slot 33 I5b of the member I5. It will be obvious that, since thebearing screws [1 are eccentric'ally mounted on the ends lib, they will be raised or lowered slightly as the member 15 is rotated, depending upon the direction of rotation, to cor respondingly raise or lower the device 2| in a plane normal to that of the record. When, finally, the desired adjustment is obtained, the thumb screw 29 may be tightened again to releasably lock the device 2| in adjusted position.v

1. In phonographic apparatus, the combina-.

tion of a support, a mounting member rotatably mounted on said support, a pair of axially aligned bearing elements carried on said mounting member eecentrically thereto, and a sound translating device pivotally mounted on said bearing elements and adapted to cooperate with a record, the rotation of said mounting member on said support serving to vary the relation of said sound translating device relative to the record.

2. In phonographic apparatus, thecombination of a support, a mounting member rotatably mounted on said support for circumferential adjustment thereon, a pair of axially aligned bearing elements carried on said mounting member eccentrically thereto, and means for releasably locking said mounting member in any position of adjustment on said support.

3. In phonographic apparatus, the combination of a support, a mounting member rotatably mounted on said support for circumferential adjustment thereon, a pair of axially aligned bearing elements carried on said mounting member eccentrically thereto, a sound translating device pivotally mounted on said bearing elements and adapted to cooperate with a record, the rotation of said mounting'member on said support serving to vary the relation of said sound translating device relative to the record, and means for releasably locking said mounting member in any position of adjustment on said support- 4. In phonographic apparatus, the combination of a pair of spaced supporting arms terminating in aligned bearings, a mounting member rotatably carried by said bearings for rotation on a fixed axis, a pair of axially aligned bearing elements carried by said mounting member in spaced relation to each-other and in eccentric relation to said mounting member, and a sound translating device pivotally carried by said bearing elements and adapted to cooperate with a record, the rotation of said mounting member in said bearings serving to change the position of said bearing elements relative to said axis of rotation and thereby to vary the position of said sound translating device relative to the record.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4 characterized in that said mounting member is constituted by a hollow cylinder having closed end portions, said end portions being received in said aligned bearings, characterized further in that said bearing elements are mounted one on each of said end portions, characterized further by the addition of a cradle pivotally supported on said bearing element, and characterized still further in that said sound translating device is secured to said cradle.

EDWARD C. CONRAD. 

